07 April 2013

Michigan Technological University Research on Nanostructured Anode Materials in Lithium Ion Batteries

Michigan Technological University presented its research on nanostructured anode materials such as silicon nanorods and titanium dioxide nanotubes as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. This research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society as part of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. The abstract on nanostructured materials in li-ion batteries follows:

New directions in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries: Lessons from in situ electron microscopy

Nanostructured anode materials have received considerable attention in energy storage devices due to the enhanced electrochemical reactions at the surface and their unique electrical and mechanical properties. Silicon and titanate nanostructures are promising anode materials because of their energy capacity and safer performance for Li-ion batteries. One of the hurdles in developing better and long lasting batteries is the lack of scientific knowledge on the electrochemical reactions that happen inside a battery under charging and discharging conditions. Using real-time microscopy at atomic resolutions should shed light into some of the fundamental questions in this field. This presentation focuses on the in-situ observation of lithiation and delithiation in Si nanorods and TiO2 nanotubes. The electrochemical testing of these low dimensional structures were conducted inside a transmission electron microscope equipped with a novel in-situ electrical probing holder. The intercalation of Li-ions in Si nanorods was monitored during charging and the fracture of nanorods was quantified in terms of size. In addition, the intercalation of crystalline anatase and amorphous TiO2 was studied and their fracture events were monitored in real time.